Useful Information

Jute

Jute is a bast fibre which comes from the inner bark of plants of the genus
Cochorous. The plant is a herbaceous annual which flourishes in hot damp regions
of Asia. The main producing countries are Bangladesh and India. The plant grows to
a height of over 3m with a stalk diameter of 3cm.
After harvesting, usually by cutting with a hand sickle, the stalks are retted by being
steeped in a sluggish moving stream of water until the fibre can easily be removed
from the stalk. In recent years a considerable amount of research has been carried
out on mechanical techniques in retting tanks.
The removed strands of fibre, up to 2m long, are washed and dried in the sun and
then baled and sent to the spinning mills where they are spun into yarns for use in
a variety of products including floorcoverings. Jute has a silky lustre and varies in
colour in a wide range of natural shades.

The floorcovering
Crucial Trading offers a selection of jute floorcoverings
including fineweave herringbone and boucle in
natural shades.
As stated above, it should be noted that jute can be
affected by bright sunlight.
As with all natural fibres there will be product
inconsistencies, however Crucial Trading’s policy is to
minimise these by regular product inspection for quality.
End-use
Floorcoverings made with jute are not as hard-wearing as
some of the other natural plant fibres but it has a softer
handle which can be more pleasing to some tastes. When
treated with respect jute floorcoverings with their
natural colour can be used to great effect in the home.
It is advisable to avoid laying jute products in areas of
heavy wear such as hallways, busy living rooms and stairs.
Moisture
Jute is an unusually hygroscopic fibre and can absorb
water under humid conditions so it is advisable to avoid
areas of high moisture. Floorcoverings made with jute can
shrink and care must therefore be taken when installing
the product.
Conditioning
Jute floorcoverings should be conditioned in the area
in which they are to be laid for at least 48 hours. It is
recommended that the floorcovering is unrolled, laid out
and cut to shape but oversize by about 60mm to allow for
any change in dimensions during the conditioning period.